Presser Assembly Having A Presser And An Improved Mounting Arrangement For Mounting A Pressing Member To The Presser

ABSTRACT

A presser assembly is provided in which a presser plate or presser board mounting adapter is clamped to a lower end of a presser stem. A rail having a lower channel and an upper channel is provided for clamping the presser plate or presser board mounting adapter to the stem, and more particularly, a presser foot coupled to the lower end of the stem. The present invention allows the presser plate or the presser board mounting adapter to be mounted to the stem without the use of tools or fasteners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to blanking systems, and in particular, to amethod and apparatus for attaching a presser plate or a presser boardmounting adapter to a presser.

In the manufacture of cartons, small sheets of paper material havingspecific profiles are cut out of larger sheets of paper material. Thesesmaller sheets are known as carton blanks which, in turn, are formedinto cartons and/or boxes. The blanks are formed during a process knownas a blanking operation in a die cutting machine.

In a die cutting machine, the blanks are cut, but not removed from alarge sheet of paper material. After the blanks have been cut, the sheetis moved downstream in the die cutting machine to a blanking stationwhere the sheet is positioned over a frame for support. The frameincludes large openings which correspond in size, in shape and inposition to the profile of the carton blank previously cut. Below theframe is a mechanism for stacking the carton blanks.

At the blanking station, an upper tool is used in combination with thelower tool or frame to knock the carton blanks from the sheet of papermaterial while holding the scrap material that surrounds the blanks. Theupper tool has a support board that moves vertically up and down in thedie cutting machine, and the support board typically has a plurality ofstand-offs depending therefrom that hold pushers spaced beneath theboard which in turn are used to push the carton blanks from the sheetthrough the lower tool or frame. A plurality of presser assemblies arealso mounted in the support board and depend therefrom to hold the scrapmaterial against the lower tool or frame during the blanking operationso that the blanks may be pushed from the sheet. A presser assemblytypically includes a presser rail which is biased downwardly away fromthe support board by a spring so that the rail is positioned slightlybelow the pushers. A presser plate is attached to the rail. As the uppertool is lowered, the presser plate engages the sheet of paper materialfirst such that a scrap portion of the large sheet of material issecured against the frame. The upper tool then continues to be loweredsuch that the pushers engage the carton blanks and knock the blanks outof the sheet of material. The carton blank then falls into a stackingmechanism below the frame where the blanks are stacked for furtherprocessing.

Conventionally, the presser plate is attached to the rail using a pairof fasteners, e.g., screws. Accordingly, the presser plate has a pair ofopenings that must be aligned with corresponding openings formed in thebottom surface of the rail. Once aligned, the presser plate can bescrewed to the rail. While effective in securing the plate to the rail,such a mounting system is labor intensive. Moreover, since a blankingstation will typically have several presser assemblies, it can be quitetime consuming to fasten a plate to each rail. And, since many blankingstations are used with different blanking processes that requiredifferent presser plates, the time consuming efforts in removing andreplacing the existing presser plates can result in significant downtimeof the blanking station and/or die cutting machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a presser assembly in which a presserplate can be quickly attached and detached from a presser rail, andtherefore is believed to overcome the drawbacks of conventional presserassemblies. The present invention is also believed to provide asignificant time savings in the installation and/or replacement ofpresser plates or presser boards. In this regard, the invention, in oneimplementation, enables a presser plate or a presser board mountingadapter to be installed without tools.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a presser assembly for ablank making machine is provided. The presser assembly comprises a foothaving an upper surface and a lower surface. The presser assemblyfurther comprises a shaft having an end pivotably coupled to the foot. Arail is provided and is shaped to define an upper channel and a lowerchannel. The foot sits in the upper channel of the rail and a presserplate (or a presser board mounting adapter) is retained in the lowerchannel of the rail.

The rail is configured so that the presser plate (or adapter) can bedrop loaded into the lower channel. After the presser plate (or adapter)is loaded into the rail, the foot can be slid into the upper channel ofthe rail. The rail effectively clamps to the foot to secure the presserplate in place. The presser plate (or adapter) can be loaded into thelower channel and the foot slid into the upper channel without any toolsor fasteners, such as screws.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a presser assemblyfor supporting blanking carton scrap is provided. The presser assemblyhas a hollow housing forming a cavity. A longitudinally extending stemis slidably received in the cavity for reciprocal movement therein andhas an upper end passing through an open top of the hollow housing and alower end passing through an open bottom of the hollow housing. Amounting member is coupled to the lower end of the stem and a guidechamber surrounds the stem. The guide chamber is received in the openbottom of the housing in telescoping relation. The presser assemblyfurther includes a presser plate (or a presser board mounting adapter)and a rail clamping the presser plate (or adapter) against the mountingmember.

It will be appreciated that the present invention also provides aninventive method for installing a presser member, such as a presserplate or presser board, to a presser assembly.

Other objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however,that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicatingpreferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way ofillustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications maybe made within the scope of the present invention without departing fromthe spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent likeparts throughout.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a presser assembly according to a firstembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view of the presser assembly of FIG. 1 taken alongline 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a rail of the presser assembly of FIG. 1according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view of the presser assembly of FIG. 1illustrating how the presser plate may be installed according to oneembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a presser assembly having a presser boardaccording to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a mounting flange seated in the rail of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the presser board shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a section view of the presser assembly of FIG. 5 taken alongline 8-8 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a presser assembly according to a thirdembodiment of the invention, with a presser board shown in phantom;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of the presser board shown in FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a mounting adapter used to mount thepresser board of FIG. 10 to the presser assembly of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a presser assembly in accordance with thepresent invention is generally designated by the reference number 10.The presser assembly 10 includes a presser 11 having a generallycylindrical presser housing 12, which has an open top 14 and an openbottom 16. A presser cap 18 is engaged with the open top 14 and has anannular wall 20 defining an opening that communicates with the interiorcavity of the housing 12. In a preferred embodiment, a washer 21provides a seal between the presser cap 18 and the housing 12, and thepresser cap 18 twist locks to the housing 12. A stem 22 passes throughthe housing 12 and through the opening formed in the presser cap 18. Atubular guide chamber 24 surrounds the stem 22 and extends through theopen bottom 16 of the housing 12. The guide chamber 24 is received inthe housing 12 in a telescoping manner which allows the housing 12 toslide along the exterior surface of the guide chamber 24. The stem 22passes through a spring 26 that is retained in the housing 12 and theguide chamber 24. In addition to partially closing the open top of thehousing 12, the presser cap 18 also holds the spring 26 in compressionabout the stem 22, as best shown in FIG. 2. The spring 26 is held undercompression by a thumb nut 28 that engages the upper end of the stem 22.The thumb nut 28 also prevents the housing 12 from sliding off the stem22. The bias of the spring 26 is such that the housing 12 is forcedtoward the upper end of the stem 22. In this regard, the upper surface30 of the presser cap 18 is held against an annular bumper 32 situatedbetween the presser cap 20 and the thumb nut 28. In a preferredembodiment, the thumb nut 28 and the upper end of the stem 22 includecooperating threads that allow the thumb nut 28 to be threaded onto thestem 22. It will be appreciated that as the thumb nut 28 is threadedonto the stem 22, the presser cap 18 is forced downward, which pushesthe housing 12 downward over the guide chamber 24 and further compressesthe spring 26.

A lower end of the stem 22 passes through an opening formed in thebottom surface 34 of the guide chamber 24, and is pivotably mounted to apresser foot 36. In one embodiment, two pins 37 extend outwardly fromopposite sides of the lower end of the stem 22. The foot has a generallyU-shaped body with holes (not shown) that align with the pins 37. Thelower end of the stem 22 also includes two stops (not shown) that arereceived in corresponding openings (not shown) in the U-shaped body. Thestops limit the pivoting of the stem 22 relative to the presser foot 36.In a preferred embodiment, the foot 36 is made of generally pliablematerial that allows a user to slightly deflect the walls of theU-shaped body to fit the body onto the lower end of the stem 22. A footlock 38 is secured within the foot and is used for [ . . . ]. A presserplate 40 is held against the foot 36 by a rail 42. As will be describedin more detail below, the rail 42 is configured so that the presserplate 40 can be retained against the foot 36 without tools or fasteners.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an isometric view of the rail 42 according tothe present invention shows that the rail 42 has a generally C-shapedbody 44 defined by a planar base 46 and upturned members 48 and 50. Theplanar base 46 and the upturned members 48, 50, collectively define alower channel 52 that extends along the length of the rail 42. Anupright wall 54 extends from the exterior surface of the upturned member48 and, similarly, an upright wall 56 extends from the exterior surfaceof the upturned member 50. An inturned member 58 is formed at the top ofthe upright wall 54 and an inturned member 60 is formed at the top ofupright wall 56. The upright walls 56, 56 and the inturned members 58,60 collectively define an upper channel 62 that extends along the lengthof the rail 42 and adjacently above the lower channel 52. Since theupright walls 54, 56 extend from the exterior surfaces of upturnedmembers 48, 50, respectively, the width of the lower channel 52 is lessthan the width of the upper channel 62. As shown in FIG. 3, the topsurfaces 64, 66 the upturned members 48, 50, respectively, define thelower bound of the upper channel 62. The upper bound of the upperchannel 62 is defined by the undersides of inturned members 58, 60. In apreferred embodiment, the rail 42 is formed as a single, unitary bodyusing known fabrication techniques.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the presser plate 40 includes an elongatedplanar body 68 and is adapted to be drop loaded into the lower channel52 of the rail 42. In a preferred embodiment, the body 68 is formed tohave a shortened section 70 that is narrower than the remainder of thebody 68. This shortened section 70 is sized to substantially match thewidth and length of the lower channel 52 of the rail. The shortenedsection 70 therefore identifies where along the length of the body 68the presser plate 40 is to be loaded into the rail 42. In an alternateembodiment, the body includes multiple narrower sections to providemultiple loading points for the presser plate 40. In yet anotherembodiment, the entire length of the body 68 has a width substantiallymatched to that of the lower channel 52 to allow the presser plate to beloaded into the lower channel 52 at any point along its length.

As further shown in FIG. 4, once the presser plate 40 is drop loadedinto the lower channel 52 of the rail 42, the foot 36 may be slid intothe upper channel 62. The profile of the foot 36 is generally matched tothat of the upper channel 62 thereby providing a snug fit of the foot 36in the upper channel 62. As noted above, the inturned members 58, 60define the upper bound of the upper channel 62 and rest upon the topsurface of the foot 36 when the foot 36 is inserted into the upperchannel 62. It will thus be appreciated that the rail 42 effectivelyclamps the presser plate 40 to the foot 36, and indirectly couples thepresser plate 40 to the stem 22.

In a preferred embodiment, the presser plate 40 is comprised of metal,such as steel. It is also noted that the shape of the presser plate 40could be different from that illustrated in the figures.

FIG. 5 illustrates a presser board 72 coupled to the presser 11according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. Theconstruction of the presser 11 is similar to that described with respectto FIGS. 1-4. As shown in the figure, the presser board 72 is largerthan the presser plate 40 and therefore cannot be attached to thepresser 11 in the same manner as the presser plate 40. In this regard,the present invention provides an adapter 74, as shown in FIG. 6, forinterfacing with the rail 42.

The adapter 74 has a thin profile body defined by a pair of mountingflanges 76, 78 and a central post 80. Similar to the narrow portion ofpresser plate 40 described with respect to FIG. 4, the central post 80of the adapter 74 is sized to fit in the lower channel 52 of rail 42.The flanges 76, 78 have curved walls 82, 84, respectively, which defineopenings 86, 88, respectively. The openings 86, 88 align with holes 90,92 formed in the bottom surface of the presser board 72, as shown inFIG. 7.

To secure the presser board 72 to the presser 11, the stem 22 isinserted through a central opening 94 formed in the presser board 72.With the adapter 74 loaded into the lower channel 52 of the rail 42, andthe stem 22 extending through the opening such that the foot 36 extendsaway from the presser board 72, the foot 36 is slid into the upperchannel 62, in a manner similar to that described above. The adapter 74is wider than the diameter of the central opening 94 and, as such, thestem 22 cannot be pushed back through the opening 94. Additionally, thehousing 12 is larger than the opening 94, which prevents the presser 11from being pulled through the opening 94.

The bottom surface of the presser board 72 has two slightly recessedportions 96, 98 that receive the mounting flanges 76, 78, respectively,of the adapter 74. The recessed portions 96, 98 allow the adapter 74 tobe flush mounted to the presser board 72. The recessed portions 96, 98,also assist in aligning the openings 86, 88 with holes 90, 92. As shownin FIG. 8, screws 100, 102 are used to couple the presser board 72 tothe adapter 74.

The rail 42 described herein may also be used with other types ofpressers, such as a flush mounted presser 104 shown in FIG. 9. Presser104 includes a base 106 that is interconnected to foot 108, which issimilar to foot 36 described above, by a linkage assembly 110. Thelinkage assembly 110 has an arm 112, a link 114, and a slider (notshown). The linkage assembly 110 is similar to the third embodimentlinkage assembly described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,551, the disclosure ofwhich is incorporated herein. The upper end of the arm 112 is pivotablymounted to the slider within base 106. The lower end of the arm 112 ispivotably coupled to foot 108. The lower end of link 114 is pivotablymounted to the arm 112 generally at the midpoint between the upper andlower pivotable connections of the arm 112. The upper end of the link114 is pivotably mounted to a mounting block 116 fixed within the base106. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,341,551, the presser 104 moves in avertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane defined by an uppersurface of presser board 118.

With additional reference to FIG. 10, the presser board 118 has anelongated opening 120 and a rectangular shaped opening 122. Theelongated opening 120 is sized to receive the arm 112 when the presser104 is lowered. The rectangular opening 122 is sized to receive the foot108 and rail 42. In this embodiment, a T-shaped adapter 124, shown inFIG. 11, is used to mount the presser board 118 to the presser 104.

The T-shaped adapter 124 has a thin profile body with a central post 126and first and second mounting flanges 128, 130 extending from oppositeends of the central post. The central post 126 is sized to be receivedin the lower channel 52 of the rail. The first mounting flange 128 has apair of mounting holes 132, 134 and the second mounting flange 130 has asingle mounting hole 136. These holes align with mounting holes 138,140, and 142, respectively, formed in the bottom surface of presserboard 118.

The bottom surface of the presser board 118 has three slightly recessedportions 144, 146, and 148 that receive the mounting flanges 128 and130. The recessed portions 144, 146, 148 allow the adapter 124 to beflush mounted to the presser board 118. The recessed portions 144, 146,148, also assist in aligning the holes 132, 134, and 136 of the adapter124 with holes 138, 140, and 142 of the presser board 118. Screws (notshown) may then be used to couple the presser board 118 to the adapter124.

The presser plate and the presser boards described herein may be formedof wood,wood composite, metal, metal composite, alloy, plastic or othermaterial.

From the foregoing description, drawings, and claims that follow, itwill be appreciated that the present invention provides a mountingarrangement for coupling various types of presser members to a presser.The mounting arrangement includes a rail adapted to be drop loaded witha presser plate or an adapter that can be fastened to a presser board.The rail may also slidably receive a foot pivotably coupled to the stemof the presser. In this regard, the rail clamps the presser plate or themounting adapters to the foot without requiring the use of screws orother fasteners. The invention may be used with presser plates as wellas presser boards. It will also be appreciated that the presentinvention provides a method for attaching a presser plate or presserboard to a presser.

Many changes and modifications could be made to the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof. The scope of these changes willbecome apparent from the appended claims.

1. A presser assembly for a blank making machine, comprising: a shafthaving a terminal end; a foot operatively coupled to the terminal end ofthe shaft; a rail defining an upper channel and a lower channel, thefoot being receivable in the upper channel; and a planar member retainedin the lower channel of the rail.
 2. The presser assembly of claim 1wherein the planar member is a metallic presser plate.
 3. The presserassembly of claim 1 wherein the rail is configured such that the foot isslidably received by the upper channel.
 4. The presser assembly of claim1 further comprising a presser board coupled to the planar member. 5.The presser assembly of claim 4 wherein the planar member is a mountingplate having at least one opening and wherein the presser board has atleast one hole aligned with the at least one opening, and furthercomprising at least one fastener extending through the least one openingand the least one hole to couple the presser board to the mountingplate.
 6. The presser assembly of claim 4 wherein the presser board ismade of wood.
 7. The presser assembly of claim 1 wherein the planarmember is made of one of metal and a metal composite.
 8. The presserassembly of claim 1 wherein the upper channel is wider than the lowerchannel.
 9. The presser assembly of claim 8 wherein the rail has a lowerportion defined by a base and first and second upturned membersextending from the base, and an upper portion defined by a first wallextending from an exterior surface of the first upturned member and asecond wall extending from an exterior surface of the second upturnedmember, and wherein top surfaces of the upturned walls define a lowerbound of the upper channel and provide a seat for the foot.
 10. Thepresser assembly of claim 9 further comprising first and second inturnedmembers extending inwardly from the first and second upturned members,respectively, and wherein bottom surfaces of the first and secondinturned members define an upper bound of the upper channel.
 11. Apresser assembly for supporting blank carton scrap, comprising: a hollowhousing forming a cavity therein, and having an open top and an openbottom; a longitudinally extending stem slidably received in the cavityfor reciprocal movement therein and having an upper end passing throughthe open top and a lower end passing through the open bottom; a mountingmember coupled to the lower end of the stem; a guide chamber surroundingthe stem and received in the open bottom the housing in telescopingrelation; one of a presser plate and a presser board mounting adapter;and a rail clamping the one of the presser plate and the presser boardmounting adapter against the mounting member.
 12. The presser assemblyof claim 11 wherein the mounting member is slidably received in the railsuch that an elongated opening is formed between the mounting member andthe rail, and wherein the one of the presser plate and the presser boardmounting adapter is retained in the elongated opening.
 13. The presserassembly of claim 12 wherein the rail has an upper channel that slidablyreceives the foot and a lower channel into which the one of the presserplate and the presser board mounting adapter fits.
 14. The presserassembly of claim 13 the rail has a lower portion defined by a base andfirst and second upturned members extending from the base, and an upperportion defined by a first wall extending from an exterior surface ofthe first upturned member and a second wall extending from an exteriorsurface of the second upturned member, and wherein top surfaces of theupturned walls define a lower bound of the upper channel and provide aseat for the foot, and further comprising first and second inturnedmembers extending inwardly from the first and second upturned members,respectively, and wherein bottom surfaces of the first and secondinturned members define an upper bound of the upper channel.
 15. Thepresser assembly of claim 11 wherein the rail secures the one of thepresser plate and the presser board mounting adapter to the rail withoutany fasteners.
 16. The presser assembly of claim 11 wherein the one ofthe presser plate and the presser board mounting adapter is a presserplate comprised of steel, and wherein the presser plate furthercomprises an elongated member having first and second end sections and anotched section defined between the first and second end sections, andwherein the notched section is engaged with the rail such that the firstand second end sections extend from the rail.
 17. The presser assemblyof claim 11 wherein the one of the presser plate and the presser boardmounting adapter is a presser board mounting adapter, and wherein apresser board comprised of one of wood and wood composite is attached tothe mounting adapter.
 18. The presser assembly of claim 17 wherein thepresser board has an orifice formed therein, and wherein the rail andfoot are received in the orifice.
 19. A method of attaching a pressermember to a presser assembly, wherein the presser assembly has a hollowhousing forming a cavity, a longitudinally extending stem slidablyreceived in the cavity for reciprocal movement therein, a foot coupledto a lower end of the stem, a guide chamber surrounding the stem andreceived in an open bottom of the housing in telescoping relation toguide the foot during its vertical reciprocal movement, and a rail forretaining the presser member against the foot, the method comprising:drop loading the presser member into a groove formed in a lower portionof the rail; and sliding the foot into an upper portion of the rail toattach the foot to the rail and to secure the presser member in thelower portion of the rail.
 20. The method of claim 19 wherein thepresser member is one of a presser plate and a presser block mountingadapter.